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.durhamregion.com THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, NOVEMBER 5, 2003 PAGE 7 Health scare at Lakeridge Health Corporation Risk 'extremely low 1 hospital official says . RISK from page 1 .scare, you'd think they (the hospital) would be really careful." Mrs. McLean was told the machine that flushes fluid in and out during a procedure was not sterilized. ;. "They said 85 per cent of the germs jire killed by the detergent, but what about the other 15 per cent?" she asked. if' Nurses told Mrs. McLean the two (doctors who perform colonoscopies and gastrointestinal scopes see around -80 patients a day, making her believe many more than 100 people are affect- Patients' [lawsuit in the works DURHAM - A class-action lawsuit lawsuit is set to be launched against Lak- eridge Health Oshawa. At press time Tuesday, prominent Durham lawyer Bernie O'Brien was preparing a statement of claim for several several patients who may have been infected infected with HIV or hepatitis after unsterilized unsterilized equipment was used on them last week at Lakeridge Health Oshawa. Mr. O'Brien said the claim would be filed first thing this morning. Lakeridge Lakeridge Health Oshawa is to be the main defendant, while others will be added as those responsible are revealed. revealed. "It's more than a modest problem for them," he said of the victims, calling calling the experience harrowing. "In effect, effect, their lives are on hold for the next year or so." The individuals who contacted him did not know each other, Mr. O'Brien " said, adding he was "reluctant" to reveal reveal how many had come forward. Drawing the line at financial centives DRAWING from page-,1 Ptton • „ can. "v And' the municipality has somewhat somewhat succeeded: /After receiving an underserWed'designation last- sum- mer, six of-the 11 needed physicians » have been acquired, the last one set to arrive in January,-' ■ - ; Coun. SchélLsays he supports re- i eruitment as. much as possible, but idrayvs; the lineiat- jùffering doctors fi- , rttincialanepntiyes) 'vv.'.Gharlie Trim, thé incumbent Ward 3 and 4 regional councillor, agrees. "What you're doing is taking the f (municipal) taxpayers' money out of taxpayers' pockets and spending it on incentives'(when) in reality, it's taken p though provincial tax purposes," he [ says. "If you take money out of that pot, ; then you're not having funds for road ' construction and the other items the ;» municipality is responsible for." Arnot Wotten, who is challenging Coun. Trim, is also wary of giving fi- f nancial incentives to doctors. "If you want to start something like this, it's hard tovget back out of ' it," he said. "It's part of the provincial government duties... I think it's some- thing that has a lot of ifs and yeses and nos." The municipality has not donated ; actual money, but did spearhead the ;> recruitment team. The other major health issue in s Clarington - the "difficult" decision '? to close the maternity ward at the : Bowmanville hospital site - came ;i mostly from a low occupancy and a | need to amalgamate services, Lak- eridge said. i Coun. Schell says he understands r why Lakericlge and'the- Province dc- i cided to cortSolidat'ç'treatmcnls as- ;Jt long as they l'til low through. "Going back to the old system ; where every 1 hospital tries to do everything for everybody is just too ■expensive," he said, "But you can't just stop in the middle." ;■ Coun. Trim says the hospital is the ^Province's jurisdiction. "They're the ones doing studies /saying what's best for the community ■at large, they're the ones financing this type of Coverage," he said. "Yes, we'd like to have a hosp that services every type of disease or health care, but it's up to the professionals in the Health Ministry to determine what is best." , Mr. Wotten said he "doesn't know all the answers from not being there," but feels a maternity ward is needed because of Clarington's growing population. population. The municipal election is Monday, Nov. 10. ed. Ms. Dusek said the risk of transmission transmission is "extremely low," but that patients patients are being warned, tested and vaccinated vaccinated at Lakeridge Health Whitby to "follow protocol and that if there is an issue, to ensure that no one else gets infected." infected." Patients currently scheduled for the procedures are assured that the equipment equipment is clean and has been sterilized properly, Ms. Dusek said. "We're making sure we're taking every single precaution for safety, we're making sure everything is correct," correct," she said. Seeking support . DURHAM - Sandra Amaral wants to talk to other victims who may have been infected by unsterilized equipment equipment at Lakeridge Health Oshawa. "We need help," she said. "Together we will have more power than individually." individually." Mrs. Amaral's husband had a colonoscopy last Monday and is being tested for HIV and hepatitis. She's looking for emotional support and answers and feels the affected patients patients can learn from one another. Call her at 905-432-2040 or 416- 428-0630. At press time. Ms. Dusek said a re- within 24 to 48 hours. eridge Health Corporation at 905-576- port on what happened was expected For more information, contact Lak- 8711 ext. 4884. Sale prices in effect until Saturday, November 15, 2003, while quantities last Oshawa Centre 905-576-1711 QUALITY, VALUE, SERVICE, TRUST NE112M203 < 1 2003. Sears Canada Inc.